Strange Love
by Shae07
Summary: Steve goes looking for a friend in the one place he shouldn't, after all, she's a little reckless and Tony said she was off limits. A/N: Warnings -There's a little smut, a little angst, and written as my first reader fic for Tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

_**They know you walk like you're a god, they can't believe I made you weak**_

Steve knows he shouldn't be here, she's Tony's protégé. He had found the hunter over five years ago and thought of her as a daughter; she's off-limits.

When Nat mentioned she hadn't checked in, Steve was the first to offer to go check on her. He was worried something might have happened, but here she sits across from him, looking exactly as he remembers. A beautiful, wild thing, with rough edges and fire in her eyes.

She stares at the man sitting close to her. He hasn't shaved in a day or two, and looks hardened from the hand life dealt him, roguish even, but it suits him.

Steve hesitates, taking a deep breath, before asking slowly, "What are we doing?"

"You're the one who's fifteen hundred miles from home," she replies, a smirk dancing at the edge of her lips, "what are you doing?"

Rogers stares at her and contemplates telling her the truth, "It's been a rough few weeks," he pauses, glancing down, "I wanted to see you."

"Since when?" She questions curiously, the two of them have always been fire and gasoline. She watches him closely, wondering when the last time was that he'd had a full night's sleep. He looks exhausted, both mentally and physically.

"I need a friend."

"You have Nat," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper.

He flicks his eyes up to her, "I'm not talking about Romanoff."

The hunter takes a deep breath before biting the inside of her bottom lip. This situation feeling like a Robert Frost poem, knowing she's going to have to pick a road to travel down. One was simple, send the Captain on his way, no one gets hurt. The other was complicated, with consequences if Tony were to find out. She's always kept Steve at arm's length because he's Stark's best friend. With a sympathetic look in her eyes, she says slowly, "I can be a friend."

He watches her for a moment, so much has changed in the almost five years they've known each other and none of it was for the better. He leans forward, closing the distance between them, as he brushes the strands of hair behind her ear, leaving his hand at the base of her neck, "Do you trust me?"

The heat emanating from his hand has every nerve in her body on fire and she hates how weak it makes her feel. She lifts her hand to brush her thumb against the prickly stubble along his jawline, feeling the chill bumps rise on his neck from where her icy fingertips grazed the surface of his skin. His other hand comes up to press against the opposite side of her neck gently. She feels incredibly small in his presence like this, as his blue eyes gaze down at her with unwavering intensity. It's intimidating, to say the least. He holds her face delicately and she brings her hands to rest on his forearms, feeling the muscles tense beneath her touch. She finally answers his question, her voice barely audible, "I do."

She watches as his eyes follow him into the kiss he gently presses against her lips, it's tender and intimate. The stubble that she was so curious about doesn't even irritate her skin as he slips her bottom lip between his. He pulls away slightly, his gaze taking in every detail of her face before he presses his lips down onto hers again. He doesn't try to explore her mouth, doesn't make it sexual, just lays claim on her lips with his. This is what he came for, this is what he needs, this is what he craves. Connection.


	2. Chapter 2

_**That's the beauty of a secret, you know you're supposed to keep it**_

There's something about the smell of coffee in the morning. It awakens her senses and she's not sure how to describe it, other than bold and invigorating. She sits at the counter, one hand curled around a coffee mug, the other scrolling through the news articles on the laptop screen in front of her, while enjoying the peace and quiet of the early morning. It almost feels as if she's the only person in the compound…almost.

She sees him first, taking long strides down the corridor toward her. The dri-fit material of the dark grey shirt clings to every muscle in his torso and sweat glistens off his exposed skin. He glances up and his eyes catch hers. She quickly takes a sip of from her mug, her mouth suddenly as dry as the Sahara, and stares back down at her laptop.

"Morning," Steve says, and she can hear the smirk in his tone as he opens the refrigerator. "When did you get in?"

She tears a small piece from the blueberry muffin on the plate in front of her, carefully placing it in her mouth.

"Last night."

"I didn't know you were coming," he replies, and she sees him walk around the counter out of the corner of her eye.

"Super-secret mission," she remarks with a smirk.

"Is that what it is?" He's behind her now, one hand resting on the back of the chair she's sitting in. She can feel his presence, but pretends to be more interested in her computer as she casually sips her coffee. Steve leans closer until his cheek brushes against her hair as he reaches for one of the strawberry slices on her plate. A bead of sweat drips onto her collarbone, cool and moist. It's his. Her breath catches in her throat as it seeps into her skin. She's not even sure if he notices her reposition herself slightly in the chair - after all the gesture is innocent enough - as he pops the sliced fruit into his mouth.

Steve leans back against the counter and she peers at him over the rim of the white mug, the Stark Industries logo on the side of it in bold blue letters serving as a visual reminder of the line they had crossed.

"Stop," she states, pulling the mug down from her face.

"What?" A smile plays on his lips and she draws her attention back to his eyes before her mind wanders off somewhere it shouldn't.

"You can't look at me like that," she says, placing the coffee on the counter. "He will see, and he will know." Rogers glances down at his running shoes as the hunter continues, "I can't risk that…I owe him everything."

He hesitates a moment before he flicks his eyes up to her, "Didn't you think about that?"

His words set her back and make her furrow her brow. "I did…but you needed a friend…don't make me regret it." She holds his gaze, and her warning must strike a nerve, because his jaw clenches tight as his eyes narrow slightly.

"You think you're the only one with something to lose?" His tone is cold and authoritative, all friendliness gone. "He's my friend too."

Steve's never spoken to her like that before, and his ability to go from friendly banter to menacing anger in a matter of seconds has her heart racing. She feels it at her core, this white-hot sensation engulfing her body like a wildfire as his blue eyes glare at her. It happens so fast, she doesn't register his movement until his tongue is in her mouth and his fist in her hair, firmly holding her in place. She doesn't respond to his advance because the moment is over just as quickly as it began.

"Honey, I'm home!" Starks' voice floats down the hallway, and Steve moves lightning fast to the opposite end of the counter as Tony enters the kitchen, smiling brightly at the girl sitting in the chair.

She's still trying to steady her breathing, the sudden absence of Steve's mouth on hers leaving her flustered and feeling unsatisfied, as her trembling hand tries to pick up her coffee mug. She does her best to give Stark a warm smile, "Hey."

"Hi Princess," he responds, the smile on his face genuine. She used to hate the nickname, but it's grown on her over the years. The dark-haired man glances over at Steve with a smile as he walks around the counter to stand beside the hunter, "There's a few dress options in your room for tonight."

"Tonight?" Steve's voice almost cracks at the sudden realization of the reason behind her visit.

"Yes," Tony looks a little annoyed at the man, "you did remember to pick up your suit?"

"Wait," she interrupts, "he's going too?"

"Yea," he places a reassuring arm across the girl's shoulder, "about that, it's just this one event. I know you two don't get along, but I really need you to play nice, okay? Just for one night."

Steve bites the inside of his lip as she glances at him, neither of them sure how they're supposed to 'fake' it around Stark for an entire evening. The hunter gives Tony an unimpressed look, "I'll see what I can do."

"That's my girl," the dark-haired man states with a wide grin, "It's going to be a great. I can feel it."


	3. Chapter 3

_**We wrote a story in the fog on the windows that night**_

"Tony," Pepper's voice draws him from his daze, and he glances over at her, "What are you doing?"

"Thinking about changing the polarity of…"

"No," she interrupts him, pointing out onto the dancefloor where an unfamiliar man slowly dances with the hunter. It's obvious to anyone watching she's uncomfortable with the situation, "I mean, what are you doing?"

"Oh," he should have known nothing gets passed Pep, "that's Ian. He's a neurosurgeon, graduated top of his class."

"Tony," Pepper's tone is reprimanding, "a doctor? Really?"

"Neurosurgeon," he corrects with a smirk.

"Happy," the blonde turns to the man beside her, "go save her."

"Yes ma'am," the man replies, before striding off onto the dance floor.

"She could eat that guy alive," the blonde states.

"Maybe she could use someone to keep her grounded," Stark comments.

"She's going to kill you," Pepper states to the black-haired man beside her, "and I'm going to watch."

Happy casually taps Ian on the shoulder as he says, "Mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all." A look of relief washes over the hunter's face and Ian glances back at her with confusion, "He's a friend from work."

"Oh…okay," the neurosurgeon stammers, "I'll catch up with you later then?"

"Sure," she replies, fully intent on avoiding him the rest of the night.

Ian turns to walk away as Happy takes his place, one hand holding her right one, while the other rests gingerly at her waist, "Pepper told me to save you."

"Thank God," she breathes out heavily.

"That bad huh?"

"He has tiny, soft hands," she replies, stealing a glance at a certain blue-eyed man.

Across the room, three friends sit at a table observing the actions of everyone in attendance of tonight's event as they casually sip from the champagne they were provided, each wishing it was something a little stronger though.

"I dare you," Sam Wilson challenges the man beside him.

"I'm not scared," Bucky replies.

"I just want to see the look on Stark's face," Sam continues, "after all, he's the one who lectured us about her being off-limits, yet flaunts her around any chance he gets."

"Maybe on the next song," the soldier responds.

Steve looks at his oldest friend for a brief moment, then over to where she and Happy are approaching the bar where Tony and Pepper are standing. He'd done his best to avoid her all night, only admiring her beauty in stolen glances. The black dress she wears comes up high around her neck, but leaves her back exposed, flattering every curve she has. The length of it stops just shy of the floor, and there's a slit on the left side that reaches all the way to the middle of her thigh. His blood begins to boil with the thought of Bucky out there, intimately close, his hands on her.

"How about we just call it a night?" Steve questions them, "Head back to the compound?"

His friends agree almost immediately, having fulfilled their obligation of making an appearance, which was Stark's request. The Captain stands from the table, "I'll let Tony know."

She quickly downs the entire flute of champagne Pepper hands her. The strappy black heels are starting to make her feet ache and she's already running through scenarios in her mind on how to avoid Ian for the next hour.

"Are you mad?" Tony questions, his face scrunching up. "You look mad."

He gets no response from the girl as she glares at him, before placing the empty flute on the bar. She turns away from the bar as Tony begins incessantly babbling - although not _really_ apologizing - about Ian, but she doesn't comprehend anything he says. The sight of Steve strutting across the ballroom, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and his black suit jacket folded casually over his left arm, leave her a little breathless. She has spent the last five years intentionally staying away from him, fighting him at every turn, and somehow, that had made her oblivious to the fact he is the epitome of walking sex. Hewasthe forbidden fruit, the _one_ thing she knew could get her kicked out of Eden. Unfortunately, she's had a taste, and starving doesn't begin to describe how she feels.

"Tony," Steve addresses the black-haired man as he stops in front of them, intentionally avoided eye contact with her, "The guys and I are going to head back to the compound."

Stark nods his understanding as she turns to Pepper quickly, "I'm going with them."

"What?" Tony objects, as she grabs her clutch and Steve raises his eyebrows in surprise at her statement.

"I had fun," the hunter continues speaking only to the blonde. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

She turns and starts towards the exit as Steve shares a look of confusion with Tony and shrugs his shoulders before following after her.

"What just happened?" Stark questions Potts.

"Looks like she's passively-aggressively ignoring you," Pepper states, "and she's going back to the compound, probably to avoid your neurosurgeon."

"What the…" Bucky says as he reaches for the passenger door, noticing the hunter rushing down the stairs, heels and clutch in one hand, and dress gathered up in her other; his best friend is a few paces behind her trying to catch up.

"Do you mind if I tag along?" She questions Barnes and Wilson as she approaches the car.

"Not at all," Sam replies, opening the driver's side backdoor.

"Here," Barnes offers with a smile, holding the passenger door for her, "you can have the front seat."

"Thanks," her smile is genuine as she brushes past the soldier to sit down in the seat.

The scent of violets and roses mix with leather and it's intoxicating. Even he embarrasses himself at the childlike comment which comes next, "You smell nice."

She is surprised by the former Winter Soldier and looks up at him curiously, "Thank you."

Steve leans on the roof of the car as Bucky carefully closes the door and peers at his friend, mouthing the phrase to him, '_You smell nice?'_

Bucky shrugs, "It just came out."

Rogers climbs into the driver's seat and looks over to the girl on the passenger side as she fastens her seatbelt. Her eyes flick up to his and a small smile plays at the edge of her lips.

"So, what made Cinderella run away from the ball?" Sam questions from the backseat as Bucky climbs in, closing the door behind him.

"A neurosurgeon with soft hands."

The drive back to the compound is fairly quiet. Along the way, Steve steals a glimpse at her and notices she's staring intently on the road ahead, lost in thought, and he can't help wondering if maybe she's thinking about him. Maybe thinking back to the day he showed up at her house, because he thought of that day often.

They had talked for hours about people they'd lost, things they'd seen that normal people shouldn't. The two of them spoke more in those twenty-four hours than they had in the entire time they'd known each other. They'd really shared a connection, at least he thought so. However, that's not what anyone else would care about, Stark especially. All they would take away was that it led to their bodies tangled together in her sheets.

He pulls the car to the front of the compound, more in regards to convenience for her, so she doesn't have as far to walk from the garage.

"Do you mind," she says to Steve, as Wilson and Barnes start to open their doors, "if I ride with you to the garage? I left a bag in my car."

"Sure," he replies, as the other two men exit the vehicle.

"See you inside," Barnes says to Rogers before he closes the door.

He parks the car in the garage, cuts the engine, and barely has time to slip his seatbelt off before she's straddling him in the seat. The length of her dress is gathered at her waist, and his hands instinctively roam up her thighs until he's gripping her hips. He notices the lack of material under the dress and pulls her tighter against him with a smirk.

She cups his face in her hands, "Hi."

"Hi," Steve responds, moving one hand up to caress her cheek. She leans into his touch, her features soft and ethereal. The outside world knows them as Captain America and the fierce hunter; fire and gasoline, who are no good for each other, but only they knew how hot they burn together.

It only took one day, opening up all her secrets and fears, while listening to his, and now she melts at the slightest touch. One glance can send her tumbling over the cliff, and she's torn between hatred for this feeling or being maddeningly in love with it.

She places a soft kiss to his lips, then nips his bottom one with her teeth gently before moving to his neck, leaving a trail of kisses in her wake. She rolls her hips into him, feeling him harden at her actions. It makes her instantly slick, and she aches for him.

She moves her mouth back to his, finishing the kiss he'd started at breakfast, the two of them devouring each other. Her hands release him from the constricting fabric of the dress pants, because she needs him right here, right now. She watches his head press back against the leather headrest with a throaty moan as she easily guides him inside her. His hands move to her back, clutching her tighter to him, as their bodies move as one. Their heavy breathing and small intimate noises increase as they bring each other to the edge, diving headfirst into the pleasure they've found within each other.

Rogers walks into the small kitchen area of the compound, surprised to see Bucky standing at the counter, a package of Oreos and a glass of milk in front of him.

"Hey," Steve says, as he grabs a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Hey pal," Bucky replies, before taking a bite from one of the cookies. Steve walks past him to the other end of the counter and he catches the familiar scent of violets and roses. Barnes glances from his friend, then back down the hallway to make sure no one else is around before he continues to speak, "My God Steve, how long?"

"How long what?" Rogers looks at him in confusion.

Barnes voice is barely above a whisper as he accuses his friend, "How long have you been fucking the Princess?"


	4. Chapter 4

_**These days I can't seem to get along with anyone, get by with anyone**_

Within a couple of months, she makes the decision to move closer to the compound, opting to stay in one of Tony's more secluded homes in upstate New York for two very separate reasons. One being it was at the billionaire's request that she be closer to him and the compound for safety reasons, the other was purely selfish on her part, and that was the chance to be within driving distance of Steve.

The thought of stopping has crossed her mind, but being with him is so intense, it's a vice she's not sure she can give up… and she's not sure she wants to. She keeps telling herself the 'new' will eventually wear off of whatever this is they have, and they will eventually fall apart, and hopefully stay friends.

The case she'd just worked had brought back some painful memories though. She had to take down a couple of rogue werewolves and all she could think about was Liz.

_**Over 5 years earlier….**_

_It had always been just her and Elizabeth, best friends since childhood, and with no real family ties to speak of hunting had become their life together. That was until Liz met Taylor and her biological clock started ticking. They'd been together almost two years and engaged for three months when she called Liz up with one last hunt, close by in Chicago. It was supposed to be easy, all the signs pointed to werewolves. There was no way they could have known the monsters they were hunting were part of a larger crime syndicate of arms dealers who had recently come into possession of a special type of metal. _

_Everything had happened so fast and their small werewolf hunt had become a full-blown firefight with two metal men fighting by their side. She recognized them from the news, Iron Man and War Machine, but why they were here was beyond her at that moment. Very little was said between them, except for the man in red and gold yelling at her and Liz to get out of the building, however, neither girl was the type to take orders, especially from someone who didn't know what he was dealing with. _

_The two friends had ended up separated during the fight and it was obvious they were being overpowered. She ran out of silver bullets earlier and the only thing she has left is the solid silver blade in her hand. Amid the gunfire, and what she would later learn was repulsor blasts from the metal suits, she heard someone cry out in agony and immediately recognized the voice. The next few moments happened slowly, as if she were in a movie. The hunter spun around to see Elizabeth; her right arm contorted in such a way behind her back it was obviously broken. The burly man holding her, one of the werewolves they had been hunting, made eye contact with her, a malicious grin on his face as she started to run towards them, knowing there was no way she could make it in time. The man reached around, and she watched as the look of fear faded into nothingness on Liz's face as he snapped her neck. The hunter screamed out in rage as a foreign arm catches her around the waist and pulled her back._

"_She's gone," he said sympathetically, "I'm sorry, but she's gone. Come on."_

_A flash of red out of the corner of her eye made her realize who was flying her out of the warehouse, his voice muffled as he relayed orders to someone else as the sight of Elizabeth's lifeless body faded further from her view. The last thing she remembered seeing that night was the warehouse exploding in bright red and orange and the wave of heat that blasted her face made her duck against the coolness of the metal suit. _

_She wasn't sure what Stark's people told Taylor, car crash maybe. She just knew that Tony never left her side, he had stood with her quietly on the edge of the cemetery, while Taylor, his family, and friends watched an empty casket be lowered into the ground. Silent tears fell for the life Liz was on the verge of having._

She doesn't usually let people in, Tony had been the only exception. He was there the day she lost everything, he had been the one to pull her out of the rubble and steady her when every muscle in her body wanted to give up. When depression sank in and she'd thought there was nothing left to live for, he'd been there, bright brown eyes full of hope, half-cocked grins, and snarky comments. So, she had tried a little harder every day to live, not for herself, but for him, because she couldn't handle the thought of letting someone else down. Tony Stark had saved her life and that was a bond few could understand.

Steve understood it though and before she knew it, she'd let him in too, regardless of how often she tried to convince herself, '_It's just sex. Don't overthink it.' _She doesn't want to complicate things, she doesn't want to be _that _girl_. _The one who starts to fall first. That's not who she is, she's stronger than that. She's never felt like this before, that's what terrifies her the most, as she slowly reaches up to knock on the wooden door in front of her.

The door slowly opens, and Steve's eyes widen in concern at her tear-stained cheeks, his voice soft, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Liz has been on her mind all afternoon and the tears won't stop.

"I need a friend," she sobs and her heart breaks at how weak her voice sounds.

Steve gently pulls her into his chest as he closes the door to his apartment, and she clings to the back of his shirt as another wave of sadness overcomes her. She feels the warmth of his cheek against the top of her head as he whispers, "I'm here…I've got you."

They were more than friends, more than lovers, they were two broken souls, just trying to fix each other.

When Steve doesn't answer the next morning, Bucky uses his spare key to let himself in the apartment. He finds the two of them curled into each other on the floor in front of his fireplace. Throw pillows from the couch under their heads, a red knitted throw blanket that no longer covers their fully clothed bodies. Instead, it lies haphazardly to the side of Steve.

Barnes nudges his friend's leg with his boot and Rogers slowly opens one eye, looking a little startled to see his friend standing over him. His movements cause the hunter beside him to nuzzle her face into his neck and presses her lips against his neck.

"Hey Buck," Steve says, letting her know they aren't alone.

She quickly rolls away from the man, panic on her face as she stares at the soldier standing over them, "This isn't…"

"I already know what it is Princess," Barnes replies with a smirk. "Your secret's safe with me, but Stark's at the compound looking for you."

"Shit," she scrambles to grab her shoes, "I've got to go."

Steve props up on his elbows as she pulls her shoes on quickly, then quickly leans over to brush her lips against his for a moment.

"I'll call you," she says, and he nods before leaning up to kiss her again.

She smirks at him when he pulls away and shoves him playfully back against the throw pillow as she stands up. "Hey Buck," she says, giving Barnes an appreciative smile, "thank you."

"You're welcome."

He waits until she's left the apartment before he kicks Steve's leg harder this time, "What the hell?"

"What?"

"I thought it was just sex?" Bucky looks a little concerned.

"It _is_."

"Did you have sex last night?"

Steve doesn't respond as he sits up, tossing the red blanket back up on the couch.

"Then it's not just sex," Bucky continues.

"And."

Bucky folds his arms across his chest, "And one of you is going to get hurt…and it's not going to be her."

The blue-eyed man gives him an unimpressed look as he stands up and lays the pillow on the couch before he starts towards his kitchen, "I can handle it, Buck."

"Can you?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Everybody's waiting up to hear if I dare speak your name**_

She had followed Tony after the big fallout, the world she'd grown accustomed to was falling apart around her and there was nothing she could do except stand there and watch. She wasn't one of them, so the accords had no effect on her. But she could understand both sides of the situation, and she agreed with Natasha's statement of staying together being more important than how they stayed together.

She watches the fight between Tony and Steve from the shadows and it shakes her to the core, knowing this is something that may never heal. Blow after painstaking blow, before finally, Steve slams his shield into the arc reactor on the metal suit.

"That shield doesn't belong to you…"

Steve helps Bucky to his feet as Stark continues his speech while she slips from the shadows past them to Stark's side, dropping to her knees, a fresh stream of tears trailing down her right cheek. Tony looks surprised by her presence but allows her to assess the injuries to his face. The sound of the vibranium shield clanging on the concrete draws her attention over to Steve.

His once-bright blue eyes are dark and clouded, he's broken more now than she's ever seen him. Her eyes burn at the sight of him, bruised and bloodied, and she feels the urge to run to him, to comfort him. The two of them stare at each other for a few moments, longing and heartache stretching between them.

This is the first time Tony Stark realizes they don't, in fact, hate each other.

"I'm sorry," Steve says quietly, not breaking eye contact with her.

She takes a ragged breath, "Me too."

Rogers turns and helps Barnes to leave and she goes back to checking Tony's face, carefully cupping his cheek before she leans in to hug him as tightly as she can around the bulky suit.

"Let's go home," Tony says quietly after a moment and she pulls back before helping him to his feet.

The hunter walks over and gingerly picks up the shield from the concrete, trying to ward off the fresh batch of tears welling up.

_**A couple of weeks later**_

She makes her way into Tony's office, noticing the opened FedEx box on his desk as she questions, "Are we still good for lunch?"

His thoughts are elsewhere, and the sound of her voice brings him back to the present and he turns in his chair to face her, "Yeah…sorry…I uh…heard from your boyfriend today."

The look of confusion on her face is evident as she folds her arms across her chest, "Huh?"

"Steve," the dark-haired man responds, and she tries to interrupt him, but he stops her, "don't play dumb, I figured it out. I do want to know, if you're still seeing him, do you know where he is?"

The hunter drops her gaze, "No, the last time I saw him was with you."

"I'd say I'm disappointed, but…" he begins, "rules are made to be broken…I made it a rule, so that's on me."

She fights back the surge of emotion rippling through her body, "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"Do you love him?"

She hesitates a moment before she looks up at Tony earnestly, "I love you more."


End file.
